-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Last year we published a list of quintessential Americana experiences . You can find it here .

They were n't necessarily the most patriotic , obvious or agreeable choices . NASCAR , bourbon , state fairs , Vegas , what 's not to love ? Apparently , plenty .

There was scandal . There was outrage . There was name calling .

Because we 're gluttons for punishment -- or maybe just because we think we actually can please all of the people all of the time -- we 're back for round two .

Here 's our Volume II of the most authentically American experiences this country has to offer .

1 . Seaside boardwalks

Boardwalks have been enhancing beachside amusement since long before the Drifters ' released their classic `` Under the Boardwalk '' in 1964 .

The first boardwalk was built in Atlantic City in 1870 , when a railroad conductor was asked to find a way to prevent sand from filling shorefront hotel entryways .

The innovation remains America 's favorite wooden path , showing up everywhere from Monopoly , which was inspired by `` America 's Favorite Playground , '' to the HBO series `` Boardwalk Empire , '' which takes place in Prohibition-era Atlantic City .

Of course , you do n't have to travel to Jersey to experience the joy of a lumber-pathed stroll ; there are more than 60 boardwalks split between America 's coasts .

Coney Island in Brooklyn , New York , includes roller coasters , carnival attractions , Nathan 's Famous hot dogs and other slices of Americana . Out West , the Venice Boardwalk in California offers bodybuilders , artists , trinket sellers , magicians and boutique shops a place to be seen .

2 . Pueblos and powwows

One of the most inspiring American experiences is witnessing the culture of the first Americans come alive in a spectacle of swirling , pulsing color .

Every April , approximately 3,000 Native American dancers and singers from roughly 700 tribes come together in Albuquerque , New Mexico , to compete and celebrate their heritage . The teams blend traditional style with modern , innovative techniques , so the result is more than just living history , it 's the evolution of a culture that most Americans think has all but died away .

In the same area are many pueblo sites that provide tours of cave dwellings and indigenous architecture .

Perhaps the most memorable is Taos Pueblo , 2Â 1/2 hours northwest of Albuquerque . This village of adobe buildings has been continually occupied by Native Americans for more than a thousand years .

Taos Pueblo , 120 Veterans Highway , Taos , New Mexico ; open 8 a.m.-4 :30 p.m. ; closed for about 10 weeks in late winter and early spring ; $ 10 for adults ; 575-758-1028

Gathering of Nations , University of New Mexico Arena , Avenida Cesar Chavez , Albuquerque , New Mexico ; 505-836-2810

3 . Wrigley Field , Chicago

Forget national pastime -- to some Americans , baseball is a national religion . Wrigley Field in Chicago , regardless of denomination , is their Vatican .

Boston 's Fenway Park has two years on Wrigley -LRB- the former was built in 1912 -RRB- , but Fenway has had more significant updates . Like a giant video display installed in 2000 , and extra seats and luxury boxes that have been added time and time again .

By contrast , Wrigley has remained fairly true to its roots . It 's a classic jewel box design -- green seats , open roof , exposed steel , brick , stone -- with ball-swallowing ivy-covered walls .

There 's truly no better place to watch a game if you want a direct link to nearly a century of baseball history . If you 're in Chicago during the off-season , no worries . The park provides 90-minute tours year-round .

Wrigley Field , 1060 W. Addison St. , Chicago ; tours $ 24 for individuals ; 773-388-8270

4 . College football , anywhere -LRB- though Alabama ai n't bad -RRB-

Let 's not kid ourselves . Football is the true national sport of the 21st century .

While it does n't get much more American than the Super Bowl , we 'd argue that the most enjoyable , purest way to experience the unique American-branded mixture of militant strategics , refined athleticism , brute force and exploitation of young labor is at a college football game .

Best to get there early enough to tailgate . Bonding with strangers , drinking and grilling beforehand is 72.4 % of the experience .

Pretty much any stadium will do , but a game experience does n't get much better than at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa , Alabama , home of the reigning national champion Alabama Crimson Tide . -LRB- Yes , we know , the barbecue is spicier and the cheerleaders are hotter at your team 's stadium , but we had to draw the line somewhere and `` national champs '' earns you the top spot on lists like this . -RRB-

Bryant-Denny Stadium , 920 Paul W. Bryant Dr. , Tuscaloosa , Alabama .

5 . Kentucky Derby

There 's one more sporting event we have to include on the list .

Sure , other countries have their horse races . But those competitions were n't founded by the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition . Also , those races do n't have a traditional drink made of bourbon -LRB- mint julep -RRB- , nor do they encourage everyone to dress like a flamboyant Southern aristocrat . We 're talking bow ties , seersucker , bold pastels and spectacular hats that put British royal wedding attendees to shame .

Churchill Downs , 700 Central Ave. , Louisville , Kentucky. ; May 3-4 , 2013 ; single day general admission $ 25-40 ; 502-636-4400

6 . Burning Man

The first Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969 was one of the most pivotal moments in American cultural history . Five-hundred-thousand people came together to celebrate drugs , weirdness , creativity , individualism , beauty and sticking it to the Man .

What 's the direct descendant of Woodstock ? Before you say Bonnaroo , Coachella , Lollapalooza or any other trendy music festival -- each of which is run by the Man -- let us stop you .

The world 's largest festival of artistic expression is Burning Man .

The weeklong event held every year in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada is difficult to describe . As the website puts it , describing Burning Man is `` like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind . ''

Essentially 50,000 creative spirits gather in one of the most desolate areas in the continental United States to wear bizarre clothes , make art , do drugs , experience a new form of communal living , have a hell of a lot of fun and let their freak flags fly .

Burning Man ; August 26-September 2 , 2013 ; 415-863-5263

7 . Soul food

It 's difficult to pin down the most American of foods . Almost every candidate has roots in other countries , but , of course , that 's what makes them American .

Soul food makes the top of the list because it 's delicious , unapologetically artery-clogging and it brings us face to face with our turbulent past .

African-American slaves on Southern plantations were often given scraps and leftovers to eat , and had to make do with whatever vegetables they could grow nearby and with little care , as so much time was spent working . From these restrictions arose some of the finest recipes in American cuisine .

There are thousands of spectacular soul food restaurants -- many of the best are in the South -- but Sylvia 's in New York is maybe the most well known .

Sylvia 's , 328 Lenox Ave. , New York ; 212-996-0660

8 . Juke joints

While we 're in the region , one of America 's great art forms , Blues music , grew up in the juke joints of the South . Jukes arose after emancipation , taking the form of shacks and private houses where African-Americans gathered to listen to and play music , gamble and dance .

A few classic juke joints still remain , some along Highway 61 , aka the Blues Highway , which stretches from New Orleans to the town of Wyoming , Minnesota , an American experience in and of itself . Po ' Monkey 's , opened in 1963 outside Merigold , Mississippi , is considered one of the last remaining original jukes . It 's only open Thursdays , and it 's not easy to get to , but the music and crowd make it worth the trip .

Po ' Monkey 's ; Po Monkey Road , Merigold , Mississippi ; 662-843-2712

9 . Outdoor Christmas light displays

Sure , other countries have Christmas lights -LRB- or fairy lights , in the UK -RRB- , but no one else takes it quite as seriously as Americans .

The lighting of the approximately 80-foot tall Norwood spruce at Rockefeller Center in New York is practically a national event . But the greatest displays of holiday spirit can be seen in more rural areas . Take Magical Night of Lights in Lake Lanier , Georgia , which consists of seven miles and millions of lights , or the six-mile long Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights in Wheeling , West Virginia .

Magical Night of Lights , 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway , Buford , Georgia ; 770-945-8787

Winter Festival of Lights , 465 Lodge Dr. , Wheeling , West Virginia ; November 8 , 2013-January 5 , 2014 ; Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m. ; 800-624-6988

10 . Megachurches

Americans know how to make praising Jesus memorable . Just look at Gospel music and tent revivals .

In modern times you need n't look much further than Gospel brunches -LRB- wash away your sins from the night before with spiritual songs and mimosas -RRB- and megachurches .

Those giant boxes of worship are where thousands of Christians gather not simply to pray and praise , but in many cases to eat , shop and work out .

The United States has more than 1,300 of them , and more than 50 draw a weekly attendance between 10,000 and 45,000 .

The mega-ist of American megachurches is Lakewood Church in Houston , led by senior pastor Joel Osteen . Every week his message is broadcast to 7 million viewers in more than 100 countries .

Lakewood Church ; 3700 Southwest Freeway , Houston ; 713-635-4151

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Pueblos and powwows in New Mexico highlight Native American culture

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Baseball , football and the Derby made the cut -- yes , we love sports

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What would the country be without soul food ?

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We tried to resist including Burning Man , but failed